Key fastener



W. D. TAYLOR KEYv FASTENER Filed March 25,193Q

INVENTOR W/[l/A/W DUDM/l/V TAU/Z01? ATTORE Jan. 7, 1941.

Patented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES KEY FASTENER William Dudman Taylor, Bronx, N. Y.

Application March 25, 1939, Serial No. 264,187

Claims.

This invention relates to key fasteners. It is particularly directed to a key adapted to be inserted into a, keyhole to open a door, and a key fastener associated therewith which may be ad- 5 justed in position to prevent removal of the key from the door.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described having means for looking a key in locked position on the door to prevent the key from being turned to unlock the door, or from being pushed in or pulled out or removed from the opposite side of the door.

A further object of this invention is to provide a neat, strong, compact and durable key and key guard embodying the invention, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate andadjust, and withal practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described,

and of which the scope of the application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a door provided with a key and key guard embodying the invention, shown in locked position;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing the guard in key releasing position in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 designates a door, and II a door jamb. The door is provided with a usual lock of any usual construction, and adapted to be opened by a key l2 inserted into the keyhole I3 of the escutcheon 5 plate I4. 'On the usual escutcheon plate is the door knob l5, disposed above the keyhole l3.

The key l2 has a usual shank I8 with an apertured handle l9 at one end, and a. bolt actuating portion 20 at the other end. Extending through 50 the aperture 22 of the key handle I9, is a reduced external screw threaded portion or stem 23 of a member 24. The member 24 has an enlarged externally screw threaded portion 26 co-axial with the stem 23 and formed with a longitudi- 55 nal diametric slot 21. The slot may extend to the outer end of the screw'threaded portion. The slot 21 is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the shank l8 and portion 20 of thekey. v,

Received on the screw threaded stem 23, and disposed on opposite sides of the key handIe 'IQ are, washers 29; Screwed to the threadedshank 23 are look nuts '30 which press the handle of the key and the washers 29 againstthe shoulder 3i formed between the portions 21 and23-of '10 member 24. Screwed on one endof member "24 is a nut 32 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. i i

Slidably extending through the slot 21} is a guard bar 40 comprising a flat elongated -sjtrip ls of metal, formed with a longitudinal slot 4| adjacent the rearend thereof, and with a cut-away notch 42 at its outer sideedge." The" guard '40 is also formed with an integral projection 43 adjacent its front end. 20

Extending through the slot 4| is an adjustable bolt 45. The bolt 45 limits forward movement of the guard, whereas, the projection or stop member 43 limits rearward movement thereof.

When the nut 32 is loosened, the guard 40 2 may be moved back and forth in a direction parallel to the key. When the guard is moved rearwardly to the dot-dash line position shown in Fig. 2, the key may be used in the ordinary way. When it is desired to lock the door with the key 30 and then adjust the guard to prevent the key from being pushed out of the door, the nut 32 is first loosened and the guard moved rearwardly until the stop 43 contacts the member 24. The key may then be inserted through the keyhole 35 I3 and turned to lock the door. The guard member 40 will then be aligned with the bottom vertical portion of the keyhole. The guard 40 may then be pushed inwardly through the keyhole and the nut 32 tightened to be received within 40 the notch 42.

When the door is locked it is in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the portion 20 thereof in horizontal position. The key thus cannot be removed from the door unless it is turned to bring 45 the portion 20 downwardly to vertical position. The guard 40, however, prevents turning of the key, and hence, removal thereof from the door. By permanently adjusting the bolt 45 the length of the guard 40 is regulated before being pushed through the keyhole.

The guard member cannot be pushed in or pulled out or removed from the keyhole because the nut 32 would contact the shoulder 42a formed by the notch 42.

To remove the key from the inside, the nut 32 is loosened and the guard pulled rearwardly to permit turning of the key.

It will also be observed, when the door is unlocked the key can be inserted with the guard in the same manner as when locked, by merely sliding the guard about one-half inch rearwardly and then fastening it with the nut 32; this operation prevents the key from falling out Whenever the slamming of the door may occur.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodimentabove set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A key fastener comprising a screw, means to fix said screw to the handle of a key to extend at right angles thereto, said screw being formed with alongit'udinal slot, a guard slidably mounted within said slot and movable longitudinallyof the key,-and a nut on said screw for fixing said guard to said screw in various adjusted positions.

2. A key fastener comprising a screw, means to fix said screw to the handle of a key to extend at right angles thereto, said screw being formed witha-longitudinal slot, a guard slidably mounted within said slot and movable longitudinally of the key,-and a'nut on said screw for fixing said guard to said screw in various adjusted posiwtions, saidguard being formed with a pair of spaced stops to limit movement thereof in opposite directions.

3. A key fastener comprising a screw, means to fix said screw to the handle of a key to extend at right angles thereto, said screw being formed with a longitudinal slot, a guard slidably mounted within said slot and movable longitudinally of the key, and a nut on said screw for fixing said guard to said screw in various adjusted positions, said guard being formed with 10 a pair of spaced stops to-limit movement thereof in opposite directions, 'one of said stops being adjustable.

4. A key fastener comprising a screw, means to fix said screw to the handle of a key to extend at right angles thereto, said screw being formed with a longitudinal slot, a guard slidably mounted within said slot and movable longitudinally of the key, and a nut on said screw for fixing said guard to said screw in various adjusted positions, said guard being formed with a pair of spaced stops to limit movement thereof in opposite directions, one of said stops being adjustable, said guard being formed with a notch to receive a portion of said nut when the nut is tightened on said screw.

5. A key fastener comprising a screw threaded member formed with a longitudinal diametric slot, a guard slidably mounted within said slot, said guard being formed with a longitudinal slot, a bolt extendingthrough said slot and adapted to be fixed to said guard in various adjusted positions, and serving as a stop to limit movement of the guard in one direction, a nuton said screw threaded member, said guard being formed with a notch at one edge thereof to receive said nut, and a fixed stop on said guard to limit movement of said guard 'inan opposite direction.

WILLIAM DUDMAN TAYLOR. 

